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It seems that the rush to grab “doorbuster” merchandise on Black Friday has now encroached into the late Thanksgiving Day activities that normally included football games, movies, and other traditional family bonding activities. These days, starting at 8 p.m., some of the biggest national chains – includingTarget (TGT), Wal-Mart (WMT), Sears (SHLD), and JC Penny (JCP) – will start their big holiday sales early.

Stores used to wait until 4 a.m. Friday, then 2 a.m., and then midnight to offer their bargain basement goods. Some chains have always been open Thanksgiving Day, but this is the first year they’ve opened their doors during prime time football and the during the food digestion cycle.

As part of the growing trend to attract shoppers to stores, some of the larger retail landlords – primarily REITs - have also been utilizing non-traditional means to attract traffic into their parking lots. Tanger Factory Outlets (SKT) has a Tanger App that enables shoppers to customize “deals and fashion steals” based on the shoppers current or favorite retail location. According to Tanger’s website, the company’s “advanced location-based technology displays exclusive app-only specials and offers as you shop”.

Innovation has been a key ingredient for Tanger’s success as the REIT’s strong reliance on social interaction has proven to be a differentiator for the outlet giant’s ability to integrate the brick-and-mortar model with the brick-and-click model. Steven B. Tanger, the company’s president and CEO explains (in a recent Forbes interview) why a multi-channel sales model is key:

Obviously, the convenience and 24/7 availability of e-commerce resonates strongly with consumers, but while online and mobile sales continue to grow, I do not believe that it takes away from consumers’ excitement over visiting brick and mortar shopping centers. At Tanger Outlets, we are continually bringing in more in-demand designer and brand-name tenants to provide in-season and on-trend merchandise for our shoppers. Outlet centers provide a one-stop shop that offers great brands at a value price, in one location, in contrast to shopping online where consumers have to search for deals for their favorite brands individually. We also understand that the shopping experience itself is as important as the products that our tenants sell, which is why we fill our centers with dining options and often host concerts or special events at our properties. We want to ensure that we provide those traveling to visit our centers a unique and exciting shopping experience that cannot be replicated online.

Tanger Centers App is a great way to map out the specials in advance and, as described by Tanger’s CEO and President,

In good times people love a bargain, and in tough times, people need a bargain.

Taubman Centers (TCO) is another high-quality retail REIT providing innovative ways of promoting its luxury mall business by delivering interactive experiences for promoting its best in class brand. Hosting up to 100 million shopper visits in November and December, Taubman centers deliver large, moderate to affluent audiences and high-impact holiday marketing solutions.

On Black Friday (and over the Black Friday weekend), Taubman representatives will reach out to around ten properties and engage with certain retailers – representing different merchandising categories – to inquire about their business throughout the day. The responses (to questions) will be updated every couple of hours. This innovative networking concept is a means for the media (Forbes included) to stay tuned in “real time” to trends throughout the day.

Some of the Taubman properties that will be reporting include Dolphin Mall in Miami, FL; Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, MI; Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA; Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL; Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, MI; The Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township, MI; International Plaza in Tampa, FL; Northlake in Charlotte, NC Stony Point in Richmond, VA and Westfarms in West Hartford, CT.

In a recent Forbes interview with Robert Taubman (TCO’s chairman, president, and CEO), the mall giant explains the evolution of the retailer:

The best retailers touch their customers seamlessly whether through e-commerce, catalogs, direct mail or brick and mortar. Brick and mortar enables retailers to holistically present and establish their brands, create an experience that inspires customers, and allows them to socialize and interact with others. Technology has improved the customer experience at all levels — the front of the house, the logistics chain, its efficiency and pricing, and customer knowledge and service. Social media will continue to enhance the connectivity of the customer and retailer, but in this omni-channel world the brand is more important than ever.

Beyond the basics, these retail REITs are focused on creating positive, exciting, interactive experiences by leveraging their physical presence and the convenience of technology… and whatever inventions in the way humans live – and shop – develop in the coming decades. Conclusively, retailers and retail landlords have embraced social media such as Facebook (FB) and Twitter as indispensable to getting the word out about these promotions.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!

As noted above, Taubman Centers plans to provide “real time” updates on certain retailers over the holidays and I will, in turn, provide “real time” Black Friday updates on Forbes.com.